


I'm Your Fool

by theregoesmyfearow



Series: Long Road to Ruin [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
Genre: M/M, i'm writing this as i go along as usual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-12-14
Packaged: 2018-04-28 07:17:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5082736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theregoesmyfearow/pseuds/theregoesmyfearow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a few years. Progression has happened, but maybe things aren't as great as they first seemed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. And I Wonder

     The sea was welcoming. Archie sat on the small beach just past Petalburg and thought about how grand it would be to go sailing again. There were more thoughts to be had as well. It had been around three years since he’d started dating Maxie, and he was concerned about not remembering the exact day they’d agreed on it. Archie figured Maxie didn’t remember either, but there was something deep down that nagged him about it. It came from the same part of his being that nagged him about how he hadn’t gone sailing on an actual sailboat since he’d left Pacifidlog in the first place.

     Archie’s only real distraction from the sea was Maxie. He had no time to miss being out on the waves if he had a reason to stay on land. But Maxie had been sent on a trip. It was some teambuilding exercise thing the Devon Corporation had for its research and development team to work with some new interns. Archie remembered Maxie complaining about the whole thing being at the Safari Zone. There had been some rambling about how the Safari Zone was the worst possible use of the funding it’d cost to build, but it really did give a lot of rare pokemon a place to thrive. Besides, part of the Safari Zone project had been some manmade lakes. Plenty of rare water pokemon had a home because of it.

     The sun was starting to set. It was probably time to start getting back home. But then again, it would be nice to watch the oranges of the sky reflect on the ocean waves. Archie pulled his Pokenav out of his pocket. Since Devon had released a “Match Call” function for it and Maxie had installed the function on his ‘Nav, Archie had been using it to call Maxie at random times and bother him. But in that moment, on the beach, it became more of a way to actually talk to Maxie instead of call him to ask if the refrigerator is running.

 

     “Hey, uh, Max. How’s it goin’?”

     “All this time, and I barely let you call me that.”

     “’Cause ya love me. Anyways, I did call fer a purpose.”

     “Yes. I’m fine, everything’s fine. Except the Safari Zone is shit.”

     “I know, I know.”

     “The interns are alright. More problem solvers. Hey, I found one you may know. I’ll have to let the person talk to you when we get back to Rustboro.”

     “Oh really, now?”

     “Yes. I have to say, this intern is actually brilliant.”

     “Hmm. Well, I gotta be gettin’ home. ‘s gettin’ late.”

     “Indeed. I hear some wingull in the background. Get to bed, asshole.”

     “Goodnight, Maxie.”

 

     Archie started for home. It would only be a few days. Maxie would be home, and things would be back to normal. Normal had come to mean having someone around the house to talk to, someone to wait for at night and then snuggle. Someone to lie across his lap and stretch out. Archie loved coming home from work in the evening with just enough time to make some dinner and then stretch out on the sofa for a couple of hours. After that, Maxie would come home and hang his labcoat on the hook by the door before flopping across Archie’s lap for some attention. And Archie was more than glad to give out that attention.

     It was a quiet and peaceful evening ritual. Archie would gently run his fingers through Maxie’s hair while they watched the evening news report. Every once in a while he’d look down and pay more attention to Maxie than to the news. Archie would watch for a quick moment while Maxie’s chest went subtly up and down with each breath. And then he’d yawn, and his chest would puff out just a bit more. Just thinking about how tangible and human his boyfriend was made Archie ache.

 

     Eventually the Devon Corporation’s team-building camp or whatever the hell it was had come to an end. Archie stood outside the apartment building to wait. When Maxie arrived, he jumped into Archie’s arms. Archie responded by hugging Maxie tightly.

 

     “Okay, you’ve made your point, Archie.”

     “I missed ya, alright?”

     “I missed you too, but I didn’t jump at you to be crushed.”

     “Sorry.”

     “I adore you, I really do. But I don’t need a cracked ribcage.”

     “I’m not gonna put ya out of commission.”

     “You will, though. And then we won’t be able to have fun.”

 

     Archie sighed. He was glad that Maxie hadn’t changed a bit since before he left, but even if he’d missed having Maxie around there was still the short rest that had been the first day Maxie had been gone. Yes, he adored Maxie, but Archie had figured that one day to himself would be grand. He wouldn’t have to worry about Maxie getting all hyper from caffeine and doing everything at once. And that redhead didn’t just want to do housework or research or anything that pertained to responsibility. The energy had spilled over into other parts of life. Maxie had been coming and going to do research, back and forth from Rustboro to Mt.Chimney by way of Meteor Falls. The man had to be doing something at all hours of the day, and it was always some sort of work.

 

     “Ya know, Maxie, I really can’t keep up with ya.”

     “Hmm?”

     “Let’s head inside. I love ya to bits, I just can’t keep up with all yer energy.”

     “Is that a bad thing?”

     “Nah, not really. Ya little spitfire.”

 

     Once inside the apartment, Archie watched as Maxie flopped onto the sofa. The pirate wasn’t used to seeing his energetic boyfriend look so exhausted. It wasn’t normal, not at all.

 

     “Max. Work’s wearing you down, huh?”

     “What? No. No, I’m not wore down at all.”

     “You sure?”

     “I just got home. Oh, by the way, you get to meet the intern on Monday.”

     “Oh, right. Yeah, I’m looking forward to knowing what the hell you’re talking about.”

 

     Archie sighed. Perhaps he could do something, maybe he could help. But Maxie hadn’t been making that much sense. It had been three years since they’d taken Hoenn away from Team Rocket, three years since they’d moved into an apartment together and started dating.

     It was denied every time, but Archie knew the job at Devon was really getting to Maxie. He felt awful watching the redhead go from excited about going to work every day to looking as if he’d dreaded it. Archie knew this had been Maxie’s dream job.

     But the interns… maybe having someone to help with all the hard work was what Maxie needed the whole time. Archie would just have to give some encouragement. Maybe he could get Maxie to take a trip to Fallarbor for a break and then go along with.

 

     Monday came and Archie waited outside the Devon gates for Maxie to get done with work. He knew he was a couple of minutes early, but that probably wouldn’t be an issue. But sure enough, after a couple of minutes Archie noticed his boyfriend leaving the building. But behind him was someone tall with dark hair. At first he didn’t recognize the person, but suddenly he could see past the labcoat and “intern” badge.

 

     “Shelly! Holy shit, Shells, you’re here!”

     “Haha, yeah. When the opportunity popped up, I took it.”

     “Well, you’ve always been smart.”

     “It’s just a job, Archie. I remember you told me about living in Rustboro, and I figured you needed a bit of home away from home.”

     “It’s not- not really home anymore, Shells. Not since well, you know.”

     “My mom still likes you. But anyway, I should get going. It was nice seeing you. We can meet up again soon.”

 

     Archie grinned and ran home, dragging Maxie behind him. Seeing Shelly was a good spirit-lifter. Back at the apartment, Maxie even seemed to be a bit more lighthearted. It was as if the cheer was spreading. Maybe there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interns are helpful and important. They're probably also unpaid, so you should be nice to them. (As in some really important things to pay attention to are happening.)


	2. If Anything Could Ever Be This Real Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maxie reflects on things like work and relationships and ideals.

     Times were changing so rapidly. Hoenn was moving forward at a blinding pace. Technology was plowing its path through the world and Hoenn was not going to be left behind, oh no.

 

     Maxie tried to wrap his mind around everything that had been in the news. Sea Mauville was going to be turned into a place where water pokemon could play. The old abandoned research center was likely dangerous, but hell if anyone in charge ever noted that. Pokemon centers were going to be rebuilt entirely. One by one, they were going to be knocked down and rebuilt- except the one in Mauville since it was part of the surrounding highrise clump. The upper floor was just going to be converted into something else- likely yet another apartment. But all the other pokemon centers? They’d be knocked down and built as a single floor all because the technology for the damn cable club was becoming obsolete.

     The whole concept was somewhat bittersweet. Maxie had enjoyed the cable club as a kid, but life moved forward. Life always moved forward, and it did not pay to dwell on what would be lost.

     Besides, the main concern would have to be work. The Devon Corporation kept researching new technologies. They brought in a student from Kalos who reminded Maxie of his younger self- except this guy was twenty-six. The student was studying to be a professor. It took a strong curiosity in all types of pokemon to do that. After the student went back home, though, things went somewhat back to the usual work. The only difference was that the president of the company seemed weirdly interested with Kalos history and what companies in Kalos were doing. Maxie wrote it off as not being important. He continued to research new ways to push progress ahead.

     Even with the promise of a glorious future thanks in part to his work, Maxie felt that work life was nowhere near as pleasant as home life. Being back at the apartment after a long day was a peaceful escape from the slow but steady increase in stress that his job was providing.

     It wasn’t long after a trip to the Safari Zone for work that Maxie pitched the idea of quitting. Archie stared back with a confused expression. Maxie decided to repeat himself.   

 

     “What if I put in my two weeks’ notice?”

     “Maxie. You sure? Is this really what you want?”

     “The thing is, I don’t know. Maybe they’ll change.”

     “Oh. Well, if you don’t agree with what they’re all doing, then go. You can find something else to do. if we have to move, I’ll find something else.”

     “What, we’ll both work in a mart or something? I don’t want to work in a mart, Archie.”

     “It doesn’t have to- anyway, whatever you want to do, I’m behind you.”

 

     That conversation seemed to have gone well. Maxie figured he probably shouldn’t quit just yet, but eventually he’d probably have to. He’d just wait for Devon to really mess things up.

     After all, there were still things to look forward to. Maxie still got to visit Mt. Chimney. It was at least a good way to take a break from working in a building. Research outside of the four walls of the Devon Corporation was literally a breath of fresh air.

     Maxie noticed that he must have still seemed down. Archie had walked up to him and grabbed his hand. The affection was welcomed and returned. Affection was just a concept, but the communication of such a concept was solid, something firm. Kisses were just visible, concrete ways to express ideas. Maxie tried to break from his analytical ways and let things take their course, but it was no use. He’d calmed down, sure enough, but that wasn’t all.

     The analysis of the situation eventually brought forth a conclusion. Even if daily life would have to be interrupted, there would still be a constant. An important constant at that. Even if Maxie had to accept that Devon wasn’t his dream workplace after all, he’d still accomplished more than he’d planned to. And it wasn’t like he was alone.

     Maxie placed his hands on Archie’s shoulders and waited a few seconds before sliding his hands down to Archie’s biceps. He grabbed Archie’s arms gently before pushing himself up on his toes to kiss Archie on the lips. Being just a bit shorter than Archie had its disadvantages, but Maxie had found a way to turn it into an advantage. He knew Archie found such an action to be absolutely irresistible. The strategic ways had never really gone away- they’d just made dating that much easier.

     The reaction was exactly what Maxie had expected. Archie invited him to the bedroom and of course his answer was “yes, please.” The kissing escalated. Maxie put his hands on Archie’s chest and pressed gently. At first nothing happened, but then it seemed like Archie had gotten the hint. The rugged man flopped backwards onto the bed so Maxie could tackle him.

     After tackling Archie, Maxie started kissing a line from Archie’s jaw down to his neck. He only stopped to pull the collar of Archie’s t-shirt away. The kissing resumed at Archie’s collarbone and stayed there for a few moments.

     Maxie pushed himself up and knelt straddling Archie’s hips. Archie tried to take off his shirt while lying down and got stuck in it instead. Instead of immediately helping, Maxie poked Archie’s chest and ran his long fingers down the lines of Archie’s muscles. After that, Archie was able to get the shirt past his face. This prompted Maxie to start kissing all over his boyfriend’s face.

 

     “Max, jeez. Give me a bit to get this off, okay? My arms are still awkwardly stuck in this- Maxie, please.”

     “Fine. Can’t take a bit of teasing, I see.”

     “You kinky little shit. I’m stuck and you just pile on me.”

     “Do you like it?”

     “Yes, but I’d much rather be able to hold you.”

     “Mmmm, that would be better.”

 

     Maxie got off of Archie and started unbuttoning his own shirt. Archie got himself free and put his hands on Maxie’s hips. That was the catalyst. Everything went forward from there. After a few minutes, Maxie was lying in Archie’s arms, reflecting on how absolutely concrete his relationship was as opposed to simply being conceptual. Everything had fallen into place.

 

     The morning after seemed much more peaceful than the past few days had been. Ideas, they could only account for so much. Actions spoke louder than words. But it just served to remind Maxie that Devon’s actions as a corporation were speaking in shady ways. It was a good excuse for self-analysis as well. As Maxie filled the coffee maker with its required ingredients, he remembered how he’d been just full of ideas as of late. The sabotage on Team Rocket- that had been ideas put into practice. If he could get that to happen with some help, then maybe he could get Devon to turn around with some help. But what help?

     That’s when the plan came to mind. As Maxie waited for his coffee to brew, he came up with a plan to talk to one of the new interns. Not Shelly, a different one. One who seemed to have taken an interest in bigger things. It would be perfect. Maxie would talk to the intern and see how the guy felt about the Safari Zone, what he thought about Devon as a whole, and if he was just as invested in working for the better of the world.

     The coffee maker beeped. Maxie poured himself a mug of the hot brew and stood leaning against the counter. Archie walked over and gave him a kiss. Maxie hoped that even if everything else went stale, that his new home with Archie would not become stale. There was hope, hope that maybe, even if everything changed like the Pokemon centers did or anything else that was moving forward, that his path forward would still include Archie.


	3. Fool in the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archie tries to verify that the worst is not going to happen. But it's difficult to fact check.

     Archie got home late one night. Maxie was already home and sleeping on the sofa. Archie scooped his boyfriend up and carried him to bed, but he forgot that Maxie was a light sleeper.

 

     “What are you doing, Archie?”

     “You shouldn’t sleep on the couch. You’ll get stiff.”

     “Oh. Thanks. Stay, though. Sleep next to me.”

     “Mmmhmm. Whatever you want, sleeping beauty.”

 

     Archie sat down on the bed and waited until Maxie was all settled in to lie down. It was just about perfect. Everything was just about perfect, save for one tiny detail. Archie knew he was seeing a side of Maxie that wouldn’t be revealed to anyone else, and with any luck he’d be the only one to ever see it.

 

     “Maxie. We’ve been together three years now.”

     “I know. People date for longer, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

     “Hmm? What I mean is, how do you still put up with me?”

     “Archie, if I didn’t love you I’d have left you ages ago.”

     “I know. But I pull so much nonsense on you.”

     “Like when you faked picking up a pirate accent for six months and I actually believed you? I’ve never known anyone that dedicated to a prank.”

     “You were pretty damn pissed off. But you’re impressed.”

     “I am. Now can you let me sleep? You know I love you.”

 

     That was going to be that. It didn’t matter, did it? Archie wasn’t going to dare screw up anymore, but there wasn’t much he could do- outside of being a complete shitpile- that would drive Maxie away. Everything would be fine. They’d be together- always? Probably. It wouldn’t pay to think of alternatives, not at night.

     But the three years had been an adventure. Somehow Maxie stuck around even with the pranks. But then, he’d come up with some of his own. And Maxie was great at it. Archie admired that so much. The sarcastic remarks had really gotten him on more than one occasion, and they’d both had a good laugh about it afterward.

     And it wasn’t even just the fun times. Archie remembered that he’d stood by Maxie when Euclid the eevee had passed. And Maxie had stayed with him when he’d let his machop go with some sailors.

 

     A couple of days later though, important things started to become apparent. Archie had been doing some reading about oceans. All of the information he found just pointed him further in the direction he was already heading. The sea was everything. Life needed water to survive, and the amount of water pokemon seemed to be increasing. Boats carried cargo, and it was far easier to get one large load transported by sea than it was to send a few truckloads. Hell, even by land cargo was called a “shipment”. Archie knew that Maxie didn’t like the Safari Zone, but maybe he’d like funding going towards a sea habitat for water pokemon? That could be something to bring up.

 

     “So uh, Maxie. I was thinking lately. I have an idea for Devon.”

     “Hmm?”

     “What if they built this huge manmade harbor extending up by that route past Mauville? One with artificial reefs for water pokemon to live in. Then people could observe the pokemon, and it’d be awesome.”

     “The hell? Archie, no.”

     “What’s wrong with my idea?”

     “That would detract from the land. It’d wreck the ecosystem that would already have been in place on the land where they build it.”

     “You mean like the Safari Zone did that?”

     “Exactly. I’m sorry, Archie, but your idea is not going to work. Revise it, perhaps?”

 

     Archie was ready to ask Maxie who pissed in his coffee that morning, but he thought better of it. It didn’t pay to make things worse. It had to be a brilliant idea, even if Maxie didn’t see it that way. Maybe… maybe he’d tell Shelly. Shelly would love the idea.

     Archie didn’t have to work that day, so the library’s aura called to him. More reading had to be done. Perhaps there’d be proof that the sea needed more habitats. But on the way there, Archie walked past Maxie. The redhead was talking to a younger-looking man with an intern badge like Shelly’s. The intern had dark hair and a wide face, and he was laughing at something. Archie stopped to see if he could hear the rest of the conversation, considering Maxie hadn’t seemed to notice him.

     Maxie said something about Archie’s idea, and he and the intern started laughing harder. Archie felt like someone had driven a wedge into his chest. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t at all fair. Why did Maxie have to be like that, and over something so petty? It had to be the damn Safari Zone thing. But what was it? No concern that maybe something would happen to the sea. Instead, the main concern was “no, Archie, it’ll wreck the land”.

     As far as Archie was concerned, the land could go fuck itself. He hated to feel such anger, but Maxie was being a prick. And that intern, clearly that intern was in on it too. Fucking landlubbers. Archie thought about pulling the whole pirate accent stunt again. Maybe it’d stick.

 

     Archie took his time reading in the library and then took his time wandering around Rustboro. It was very late when he finally got home. Maxie was sitting awake, waiting for him. Archie just pretended he didn’t notice and went to bed. Maxie followed.

     Getting some sleep was somewhat difficult. Archie was still angry, and every few minutes he’d end up shoving Maxie’s arm off of him. Eventually though, Maxie must have fallen asleep. But in the morning, Archie awoke to find his boyfriend clinging to him. It was a damn good thing it was the weekend, because being sleep deprived at work wouldn’t fly. Archie nudged Maxie away and got up. He made a pot of coffee and turned off the coffee maker afterward so that whatever he didn’t immediately use would get cold. Maxie didn’t deserve a hot pot of coffee. Archie loaded his mug of coffee with so much cream and sugar that he’d chased away any semblance of bitterness.

     It was tempting to put some cold water in the rest of the coffee to make it weak and lukewarm, but it probably wouldn’t pay to do such a thing. Archie figured he’d done enough to let Maxie know he was upset.

 

     Archie called Shelly and pitched his idea to her. She thought it was amazing and promised to mention it to one of the researchers at Devon. Maybe something could happen. Something actually good. And maybe it would show Maxie not to be a prick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, his pirate accent was fake at the time. He's a prankster and it was the best joke he's ever thought of.


	4. It Was Just How You Looked in the Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you just have to take a step forward and hope for the best.

     A couple of days of nonsense put Maxie in a terrible mood. He didn’t like being ignored completely, and he especially didn’t like that he had no idea why Archie was doing it.

     Getting to the bottom of the situation was difficult. Maxie came home from work one night to find Archie sitting in his usual spot on the sofa. All the way to one side, arm on the armrest, TV on.

     Maxie walked over and sat down on the opposite side. He waited a few moments to see if he’d be acknowledged. Nothing. He stretched and flopped sideways to rest his head on Archie’s lap- just like old times.

     The result was nowhere near what Maxie had hoped it would be. Archie stood up abruptly, knocking Maxie onto the floor. That started a rage that Maxie was unable to keep back. Even though he was sitting on the floor next to the couch, he felt ten feet tall.

 

     “Jackass! Okay, what the fuck is going on? This is too far.”

     “Oh, you don’t know?”

     “Fucking hell, Archie! You want to work this out, you talk!”

     “Like you talk to that intern? Behind my back, ridiculing me?”

     “I never did that, you absolute load of camerupt droppings.”

     “You did, I walked past and I heard it.”

     “I was telling Tabitha about how cute you were and how smart you were to come up with a way to give pokemon more habitats, even if it needed work.”

     “You were fucking laughing at me.”

     “I was laughing at how adorable you were, you useless jackass.”

     “Oh, so now I’m useless?”

     “Fuck off, Archie. if you don’t want to work this through, then maybe we need to discuss what happens if we fall apart.”

 

     Maxie sat there on the floor. He just stared up at Archie, his glare clearly making his boyfriend uncomfortable. Good. Perfect. Communication was key to any relationship, and any previous problems had been solved in that fashion. Nothing had ever really escalated this much, though.

     It wasn’t fair. They’d been together for three years, and they’d worked every little issue previously. Maxie really didn’t want to have a relationship fall apart. Especially not after what he and Archie had been through.

     Sabotaging Team Rocket and quitting, loss of a pokemon, three years of dating… having it all go to waste wouldn’t be fair at all.

     Maxie got up and headed for his bedroom. He heard Archie’s door slam not long afterward. Perhaps just apologizing would be best. Just apologizing for the misunderstanding and for the fact that it probably was wrong to mention the damn harbor idea to Tabitha in the first place. But it didn’t seem like Archie was going to listen. So instead, Maxie got out a piece of paper and started writing.

     It was a simple apology. Plain and to the point. Everything was outlined and there wasn’t anything mushy or over-emotional about it. Maxie slipped the paper under Archie’s door and sat on the floor to lean against the wall next to the door to wait.

     It took around half an hour or so. Maxie had nearly fallen asleep. He looked up at the clock on the wall when he heard footsteps. Eleven at night.

     If the apology didn’t work, if things didn’t get better… Maxie couldn’t help worrying about it. The neighbors downstairs were probably not pleased with the bit of shouting. Or the door slamming. But they were hardly ever home- Maxie could only hope the neighbors weren’t home during the fighting.

     But if things didn’t get better, he’d have to leave. Maxie didn’t want to leave. That was the last resort. Leaving would mean trying to find somewhere else to live, and for sure cutting all ties with Devon- even if that was going to happen anyway. Leaving would mean never looking back.

     When Archie came out of his room, Maxie looked up at him. There was no response for a moment. But then Maxie spoke.

 

     “I really am sorry, Archie.”

     “Well, I guess there’s no point in holding a grudge, yeah?”

     “I would hope there’d be no point in that.”

     “Sorry I uh, knocked you on the floor.”

     “It’s alright. I’m not hurt.”

     “I’m glad you’re not, Max- Maxie.”

     “I’d still let you call me that so long as you still love me.”

     “If I stop, then be sure to kick my ass.”

     “Well, I don’t want to have to kick your ass.”

 

     Maxie stood up. He was surprised to be wrapped in a hug. Everything seemed like it would improve from that moment on. The two went to bed. In the morning, Maxie got up after Archie had left for work.

     It was seven in the morning. Maxie knew he had to be at work in a couple of hours. He stretched an arm out towards the nightstand and felt around for his glasses. Instead, he felt something against the side of his hand. Almost immediately, the sound of plastic hitting the hardwood floor gave him a clue. “ _Fuck, have they gone underneath?”_ Maxie thought, almost out loud. He got up out of bed, only to hear a crunch. It was a couple of seconds of delay before the pain shot through his foot and he fully realized what had happened.

 

     “Fuck! Now I can’t see!”

 

     It was a disaster. His glasses… broken? Not going to end well at all. Maxie made his way to the bathroom. He wasn’t too nearsighted to navigate the apartment. And besides, he’d lived there more than long enough to have figured out the layout. But he’d definitely have to get his glasses fixed.

     But the main focus was why his foot still hurt. Maxie got a good look and saw that the broken pieces had cut his foot. It wasn’t too bad, but not really being able to see at work wasn’t going to end well. After cleaning up his foot somewhat, Maxie made his way to the phone and called his boss explaining that he wouldn’t be able to get to work that day. Luckily, his spotless attendance record got him an understanding response.

     After cleaning up the whole mess, though, Maxie tried to repair his glasses. The lenses were no longer functional, and even unbending the frames and trying to put one of the arms back on was not going to help. Both lenses had popped out, and one had broken. The only thing Maxie could really do was try and make sure he didn’t get injured further from not being able to see clearly.

     Instead of doing anything productive, Maxie parked himself on the sofa and took a nap. When he woke up, he made himself some lunch and then went back to the sofa. Unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly possible to sleep that much that day. Maxie tried making sure his foot wasn’t that bad before sitting on the sofa with his eyes shut to try and prevent headaches. Eventually, Archie got home from work. Maxie had just fallen asleep again all sprawled out on the sofa. He was jolted awake by Archie’s booming voice right next to him.

 

     “Max? You get done early?”

     “Wh- no. Didn’t go in.”

     “You sick?”

     “Nah, I just. I broke my glasses. And cut my foot.”

     “Damn. Is it that bad? Do you need stitches?”

     “No. I just can’t fucking see. I can’t work if I can’t see.”

 

     Maxie sighed. At least Archie had gone back to giving a shit instead of acting cold. New glasses would have to be bought, and it wasn’t the weekend yet. The decision was made that the two of them would try and call in for a day off for the next day. It worked out wonderfully.

     Once Maxie got his new glasses, everything started to fall into place. The grand new frames were enough to inspire confidence, with their somewhat-modern style and the bit of red. They looked similar to the previous pair, which he’d had for around five years. The frames of the new pair thinned towards the bottom of the lenses, offering a handsome, smart style.

     That was the confidence boost Maxie needed to get things in order. A week after the glasses incident, he tied his hair back into a loose bun and got to work. At the end of the day, before he left, he went and talked to the higher-ups. Maxie put in his two-week notice. As far as he was concerned, he was done with Devon.


	5. Your Drug is a Heartbreaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What can last forever? Probably nothing. Is love something that can last? Maybe... maybe not.

     It was a day pretty close to any other. Plans were forming for some important discussion. Archie sighed. It was the first weekend since Maxie had quit his job. It was disheartening to watch the redhead try and deal with not having something to do every single day.

     But the discussion plans were strange. Archie wasn’t entirely sure how it’d go over. He was pretty sure Maxie had noticed how distracted he was. Archie could tell there was something up with Maxie, too.

     The problem was something definitely seemed off about Maxie. Something very off. It almost seemed as if… as if Maxie was itching to leave. Archie hoped that wasn’t what was going on. But there he was, sitting on the sofa with Maxie lying on his lap.

     Archie started running his fingers through Maxie’s hair. It was difficult to start conversation at that time. But something had to be said. Even if the silence and gentle affection combined to create a false sense of peace, something had to be said.

 

     “Max. I’ve been thinking things over lately.”

     “Yes?”

     “I was wondering what it would be like if we were together forever.”

     “Oh. I suppose it’d be similar to now?”

     “Hmm. Maxie, what if we got married?”

     “Now is not the time for that.”

 

     Archie stopped petting Maxie’s hair and frowned. It wasn’t even an actual proposal. The hell was the problem with it? Perhaps everything he’d been saying lately had set Maxie off.

 

     “Maxie. I wasn’t really proposing. Just kind of wondering what you thought of the idea.”

     “Well, my response still stands. I cannot marry you now, Archie.”

     “I get that. Maybe if I asked you a few months from now?”

     “What if we got married and then couldn’t work something out? What then? Archie. I wouldn’t want to have to divorce you. I can’t marry you because I don’t want to have to do that.”

 

     Archie nodded and decided that was the best answer he was going to get for his question. It applied to anything he was wondering in general as well. It sure as hell sounded like Maxie wanted to leave. And then what?

     But there was the other half of the answer. It was there outright. Maxie didn’t want to end up divorcing Archie. It sounded bad, sure. But you can’t quit what you don’t start, right? Archie had a bit of hope for the future from that.

     It took until that night to get any confidence about trying to improve the situation. After all, wouldn’t that be a good goal? Prove to Maxie that things could be good. Prove everything would be okay. Prove things would get worked out from then on. Then the jackass wouldn’t have to take off running.

     Archie got some berries from the produce basket on the kitchen counter. He had a plan.

 

     “Max. C’mere.”

     “I was thinking about going to bed early.”

     “Let’s take a bit of time first.”

     “Okay. what did you have in mind?”

     “You want some berries? I’ll feed you.”

     “Shit, Archie. Trying to tempt me?”

     “Damn, you saw through my plan.”

 

     Archie watched as Maxie walked closer. It definitely seemed as if things were working out in his favor. Archie held up a berry and dangled it by its stem. Maxie slowly stepped over and tipped his head back to snap at the berry like a feisty mightyena.

     Maxie grinned and kissed Archie. Everything was indeed working out in Archie’s favor. He took the berries to the sofa and held one by its stem over the armrest. Maxie smirked and climbed over the couch to snap at the berry.

 

     “Let’s take it to the bed. You can recline like an emperor and I’ll continue with these berries.”

     “I’ll allow it.”

 

     As Maxie pranced off to the bedroom, Archie couldn’t help but laugh. His boyfriend was great at getting invested in such little games. Normally it was adorable, but in that moment it was more sexy than anything.

     When the berries were gone, Archie held Maxie in his arms. It was easy to forget the worries that had plagued him. Urges to be gentle and caring were all that really mattered. Kissing Maxie’s face led to making out there on the bed. When Archie pulled away and sighed, he could see it was only a matter of time before Maxie would get too sleepy to have fun. Archie pulled off his shirt and leaned back in for more kisses. He enjoyed the lingering sweetness of berries in Maxie’s kisses. It gave a sense of temptation, this time with the tables turned.

 

     “Why you gotta do this, Maxie? Why you gotta make me want you so badly?”

     “Mmm, but you’re making me want you.”

     “You up for this? Then we go to sleep?”

     “Give it to me, Archie. You know what I want.”

     “Oh, your excellency, I’d be honored.”

 

     Clothes were tossed to the floor. Archie put his hands on Maxie’s hips and soon everything fell into place. Everything was perfect, and in that moment the thrill of being collided on the bed was the whole world. Nothing else could exist, just for a few minutes. And even after the thrill had ended the rush still hadn’t worn off. It was time to get some sleep anyway. Archie snuggled close to Maxie and closed his eyes. It was comforting to be able to feel just how real Maxie was, and how soft and warm he was. The soft repetitive thud of his heartbeat was the perfect lullaby for Archie to fall asleep to. It effectively chased off any thoughts that just maybe, the relationship was falling apart.


	6. I Wanna Go Out in a Blaze of Glory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some resources could seriously help with making dreams a reality... but at what cost?

     The rain came down. The door swung open. In that moment, Maxie didn’t care that he’d probably marked the wall with the doorknob. It was for the better that Archie wasn’t home to complain about it- if it was serious the landlord would charge, and that wasn’t anything Maxie was concerned about.

     Maxie had gone to coffee with Tabitha to discuss things. Despite having quit at Devon, Maxie still wanted to know what was going on. Tabitha was likely breaking at least a minor rule of secrecy, but it was incredibly unlikely he’d be caught. Besides, Maxie had gotten good at hiding what he knew from working with Team Rocket.

     No interesting news was to be told, though. Not much had happened. On top of that, it started pouring rain when Maxie was walking back to the apartment. First there was just a sprinkle of rain, but then it dumped. The man was soaked to the bone from dragging himself along instead of hurrying up.

     After changing into some dry clothes, Maxie grabbed a book he’d bought recently and curled up in a blanket on the sofa. The book had been almost impossible to put down. It contained theories about ancient Hoenn and the powerful pokemon that had lived in the region. One of the theories seemed absolutely possible- but more research would have to be done, of course. Maxie thought about the problems facing Hoenn and what would happen if resources weren’t used wisely.

     There were ways to help people and pokemon. There were ways that would require a hell of a lot of research, but Maxie was willing to take it on. After all, the drive for knowledge and to help didn’t just end upon leaving the Devon Corporation. Someone had to show the masses how to make the future better.

     But how? It would be easy enough to get Tabitha on board. And then with their combined knowledge of technology from Devon, perhaps something could be done. And even if Devon was behind, Maxie knew he was probably good enough to develop something on his own if it came to that.

     But Archie… Archie would never agree. It would have to be too bad. Maxie slammed the book shut and tried to take up even less space. He tossed the book to the floor and almost immediately winced in regret as he heard it thud to the hardwood. It wasn’t the book’s fault. The book didn’t make Archie a sailor at heart. Something like that couldn’t be helped, after all there was no use trying to take the sea away from someone who’d been born at sea. Maxie silently cursed the very thought of a floating town on rafts. What good did that do anyone? Sure it gave them a place to live, but it just proved that people and pokemon needed more places to live. Resources had to be used properly. Conservation was key, even if someone found a way to increase supply. The concept just looped back around. Maxie knew that Archie would never see his point of view.

     A question remained, however. What would be done if Archie wasn’t going to be supportive? It was difficult to face, but it was inevitable. Maxie knew things were going to fall apart. The relationship involved two people who were too different. But to be torn apart by how to make the future brighter? It hurt. It hurt to think about how Archie wasn’t going to help, despite him previously expressing his admiration for brilliant ideas. All of Maxie’s ideas had been labeled brilliant, and it had seemed like Archie was proud of him. But this? No. Archie was already sold on the sea.

     It wasn’t fair. Love wasn’t supposed to have hard times like that. Maxie sighed and stared at the ceiling. He’d been correct. It didn’t pay to even bother getting married, not when something like his current problem was bound to come up. He just didn’t expect it that soon.

     When Archie came home from work, Maxie didn’t hear him at first. Sleeping on the sofa had gotten to be a usual activity, and having an off day had made Maxie tired. However, a hand resting on his shoulder did wake him up.

 

     “You’re going to leave me, Archie.”

     “What? Not a chance.”

     “You’re going to go back to Pacifidlog.”

     “I can’t after that Rocket stint.”

     “Then you’ll go elsewhere. Travel the seas.”

     “I wouldn’t without you, and you get seasick. So I can’t.”

    

     Nothing was going to help. Archie wasn’t going to understand. But there was nowhere to go if staying wasn’t an option. Apparently Archie had nowhere to go, and Maxie knew he wouldn’t be welcome for similar reasons. They’d become renegades in so many ways, having betrayed what was good in favor of scraping by and having a false sense of nobility. That had been traded for sabotaging a criminal organization.

 

     “Then stay with me.”

     “Uh, that’d be the point, Max.”

     “No, I mean- I mean help me. Help me with my research.”

     “I’m not understanding what you mean.”

     “Archie. We can help pokemon and people. We can make more space on land for everyone to live. Everyone will be happy.”

     “Maxie, no. That’s not a concern right now. We have to preserve Hoenn, not change how everything is.”

     “I don’t have anywhere to go unless you’re with me.”

     “Then stay, for fuck’s sake! Unless you want to leave.”

 

     Maxie just stared. Leave? It sure seemed like that was an option. But whether or not it was correct was the problem. It certainly seemed like the right answer. Leaving would be hard, though. Maxie didn’t really want to. But at the same time, it was difficult to imagine being stifled in an apartment with someone who didn’t share the dream.


	7. And You Could Have it All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard to be around someone who doesn't want to be around.

     It had been a few weeks since he’d been shot down. The weekends had been dragging on. Archie had parked himself on his bed, sitting with his legs crossed and looking out over the size of the double bed as he sipped his milky tea from a bowl. The dishes had started to pile up. Even though he normally woke up at dawn and was ready to go, Archie was running out of energy.

     It wasn’t his fault- not really. Archie couldn’t be the beacon of light for two people for that long. Maxie still needed something to do, and odd jobs around town weren’t cutting it. Rustboro wasn’t bustling enough for that to really mean anything. Sure, it wasn’t really a money problem. But the fact that a workaholic had given up a perfectly demanding job to try and make that up by rushing around fixing things and cleaning houses… it was baffling.

     But that was it, wasn’t it? Maxie had become increasingly negative. The mood change- no, it was all of the energy the man gave off- had started before he’d quit at Devon. Archie remembered how badly the job had been destroying his boyfriend from the inside out, but not working full time doing something science-related was just as bad.

     As the tea ran out, Archie got off of the bed and went to go finally wash the pile of dirty dishes next to the kitchen sink. It took an hour to get everything clean and dry and then put away. There was only a little while to sit quietly before Maxie got home. And that was Archie’s cue to change out of his flannel pajama pants and into a muscle shirt with sweatpants. It was time to go.

     A good jog around town was good to clear one’s mind. Though on such a nice morning the warmth of the sun on Archie’s face didn’t remind him of his Pacifidlog home as much as it reminded him of the warmth of soft blankets and playing big spoon to Maxie’s little spoon.

     It wasn’t fair. Not in the least bit. But as the time went on, it was becoming obvious that what had been an admiration had just gone sour. Archie didn’t want to be around Maxie. That’s why he’d been more than happy to work overtime once a week and go out to work out on weekends instead of spend time with Maxie. Weekends had been their only real time together, but that had grown cold.

     Walking back to the apartment was almost a chore. Archie could feel the ache of guilt slowly creeping into his chest from somewhere around his stomach. Running away would be so awful, yet going back to what had become home was going to hurt almost as much.

 

     “I can’t do this.”

 

     Archie flopped onto the sofa and decided it was time to just lie there. He rolled to face the backrest of the piece of furniture and closed his eyes. Sleeping was going to be impossible, but that was to be expected when it was obvious one’s boyfriend was about to get the hell out and never come back.

 

     “Archie.”

     “Leave me alone, Maxie.”

     “No. What’s happened to you?”

     “You have, okay? You’ve just gotten so prickly lately.”

     “Is that how you feel about me? I’m prickly?”

     “You don’t want me around, Maxie. I know. You can admit it.”

     “I’ve told you. I don’t want to leave you behind.”

     “Well, it sure seems like you’ve made your choice.”

 

     Nothing further was going to matter. It was ending. Three years… three and a half? Who could even tell? Who could remember? Archie was damn sure Maxie didn’t even remember exactly when they’d started going steady.

     No matter how long it had actually been, Archie was coming to the realization that it was ending. It wasn’t fair, but there didn’t seem to be a way around it.

     And that would have to be fine.


	8. My Empire of Dirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it's best to finish something instead of leaving loose ends.

     It was time. Maxie packed up what he’d need to go wander as a traveling trainer for a while. He brought a few gadgets to work on if there was time. There wasn’t much for possessions to begin with- the rest was mostly furniture and books. Most of the books got sold, but a few got packed in Maxie’s backpack. The book that outlined ancient legends was so interesting that there was no way that book was getting sold or otherwise left behind.

     Leaving wasn’t going to be easy. It really was Maxie’s intent to stay, but Archie had started to drive him out. It wasn’t fair. How could someone who’d seemed so wonderful be so cold? Archie had suggested to Maxie that they get married, but what good was that going to do? Maxie couldn’t shake the disappointment in finding that he was right the whole time- it wouldn’t work out.

     There was always the intent to not cut ties, though. Nothing good could come from cutting ties. Perhaps in the future things would be better, maybe it would work out a bit better if the two of them had more time to get life figured out instead of meeting during a stressful time. After all, it couldn’t have helped that Maxie and Archie had gotten together following the Team Rocket incident.

     Maxie called Tabitha on the phone to discuss what was going on. Tabitha agreed that taking off to explore one’s options was a wonderful idea. And apparently Tabitha had talked to Shelly about researching ancient legends and Shelly seemed particularly interested in one about a pokemon that created raging seas. Maxie figured that sounded about right, considering Shelly was from Pacifidlog just as Archie was.

     A few minutes later, Archie got home from work early. His reaction to Maxie’s stuff being packed was nowhere near a good one.

 

     “You’re going. Really? The fuck? I thought it was a bluff!”

     “Archie, please. I’ll come back eventually, I just really need to research on my own and I don’t know how long-“

     “I can’t believe you! I mean, I would prefer that you stay.”

     “What for? You said yourself I had gotten ‘prickly’. Why would you want that around?”

     “Maxie.”

     “Don’t you pull this on me, you expressed that I’m bringing you down. It’s for the sakes of both of us that I go off and study.”

     “You know what, fine. Fine, you sourpuss. You go do your land bullshit or whatever. Mess the whole world up.”

     “At least you admit it. At least you admit that your lovey-dovey sham has been found out.”

    

     Maxie picked up his backpack and headed for the door. He held up the pokeball for his Camerupt and kissed it gently while staring directly at Archie. It was important for such a buffoon to see where loyalties would lie. Maxie’s capacity for forgiveness had run out and shattered. There wasn’t going to be any coming back. It wasn’t worth it to come back to what all seemed to be a complete charade. The bitterness only increased as Maxie tried to ignore that Archie kept calling for him.

 

     “What? What could you possibly want from me at this point that I will actually give you?”

     “You know I do love you, right, Maxie?”

     “Do I know that?”

     “I do, though, I don’t know what I’m going to do when I wake up to not find you next to me.”

     “You flip back and forth like the tides. Fuck you, Archie. You’re the one who’s toxic, not me.”

 

     And that was it. Maxie slammed the door on his way out and didn’t look back. He didn’t know exactly where he was going to go, but if it meant taking a ferry to Slateport and working his way to Mauville and then maybe to Fallarbor, then that would have to be that. Maxie had his pokemon and his brilliant mind. That was all that was needed. Everything would fall into place.

**Author's Note:**

> Interns are helpful and important. They're probably also unpaid, so you should be nice to them. (As in some really important things to pay attention to are happening.)


End file.
